Intertwined Souls
by hpggvm fan4ever
Summary: What if Buffy didn't get to Spike in time during "Lies My Parents Told Me"


**This is a Buffy oneshot based is Lies my Parents Told Me. I'm completely ignoring Angel season 4, I didn't like it so it doesn't exist to me. I've changed a few things, but since this is a fanfiction and obviously not mine I can do that.**

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Buffy was in shock. She knew before she made it to Robin's house that Spike was gone, yet she pushed herself faster, using every bit of slayer speed that she had, hoping that her instincts were wrong, and the empty feeling inside her where she had always felt Spike was just because of the trigger. Yet as she approached Wood's house and didn't feel that tingle on the back of her neck that always meant Spike to her, the tears that she hadn't let fall while running hoping to get to Spike in time started streaming down her face.

Taking a deep breath and needing to see for herself, Buffy pushed the door of Wood's garage open and saw him kneeling on the floor, bleeding, with a stake in his hand and a pile of dust in front of him. Taking a look around the room, hoping to calm herself to keep from killing Wood, she noticed that the walls were covered in crosses, and the song that triggered Spike was still playing on the computer in the room. She also noticed Spike's duster, which she knew he had gotten from killing Wood's mother. She walked over to the duster, punching Wood and knocking him out, picked it up and walked out.

Buffy didn't notice anything on her way home other than the unique scent that was purely Spike that clung to the duster. She was lost in her memories as she walked into the house and didn't notice Dawn calling her name as she walked up the stairs and to her room. Still in her clothes for patrol, Buffy crawled into bed, wrapping his duster around her, thinking of Spike and how much she loved him and that she should have told him every day since she was resurrected, and that should have known he was her best friend and how he knew her better than anyone, even herself.

Buffy was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear Giles walk into her room. He started to talk to her, but she rolled over and ignored him. Giles walked to the other side of the bed to face her and tried again, and again Buffy just rolled over. Finally getting the hint, Giles left the bedroom, but not before saying, "He's gone Buffy, and crying over dust will not win us this war."

It was the next evening before anyone realized that no one had seen Buffy, or Spike, all day. The gang looked until sunrise, not thinking to check her bedroom. By sunrise everyone was worried that something had happened.

Giles who had been to the airport to pick up another potential, walked into the living room where everyone was panicking. "Who are we looking for?" he asked.

"Buffy," Willow answered, while gathering the supplies she needed to do a tracking spell.

"Has anyone checked her bedroom? That was the last place that I saw her last night," Giles said.

"Spike is missing too though," Dawn said. "What if his trigger was activated while he was around Buffy?"

Removing his glasses and polishing them, Giles cleared his throat, and said uncomfortably, "Spike will not be an issue for us to worry about anymore."

It was surprisingly Xander that reacted the strongest. "What do you mean he won't be an issue anymore?" Seeing the slightly guilty look on Giles' face, Xander knew that the vampire was now dust. "What did you do Giles?" Xander whispered, hoping that his fears would be unfounded.

"I did what Buffy was incapable of doing. I took out a dangerous threat."

Before Giles had even finished Xander and Dawn were running up the stairs to Buffy's room, followed closely by Willow and Anya with Giles walking in calmly behind them. All of them were shocked to see the state that Buffy was in, and all who were present were reminded of when Glory had taken Dawn. Buffy was lying in bed facing the door, her eyes sightless and red rimmed, as if she had simply run out of tears.

"Can you get her back Willow?" Giles asked.

Willow glared at the Watcher but tried anyway. Muttering in latin, she tried to enter Buffy's mind but all she saw was black. Quickly pulling out she looked at Buffy's aura like Tara had taught her and saw that the once vibrant green that surrounded Buffy was a dull muted green, streaked with black.

Gasping, she closed her eyes, tears leaking out. "She's not coming back."

"What, but you did it before," Dawn said.

"She's dying," Anya answered for Willow.

"Because Spike is gone?" Dawn asked.

"Yes. She's dying because her mate is gone. Her heart is broken," Anya answered.

"You can't die of a broken heart," Willow sneered, thinking that if that were true she would have died when Tara did.

"Her and Spike were not mated," Giles said. "She would not have mated without telling anyone, she learned that lesson last year by keeping her relationship with Spike a secret."

"You people know absolutely nothing of the supernatural world that you live in do you. Spike was her mate, the other half of her – soul or no soul – and just because they hadn't formally mated does not mean a thing. They have spent almost every night around each other for the last four years. That alone will cause a mating bond like no other." Anya explained, annoyed at the people in front of her for ignoring the complexities of the world that they lived in.

After several moments of silence while everyone took in what Anya had told them, Dawn asked, "How did Spike die?"

"Robin approached me about the threat that Spike presented, and a plan to eliminate him."

"SO YOU KILLED HIM!" Dawn yelled.

"We did what was necessary."

"No you did exactly what I wanted you to do," said the First, flashing into the room as Buffy. "It's a shame really, how little faith you have in me Giles – well her," the First said, glancing over at Buffy laying on the bed. "She believed in Spike but you didn't believe in her, now your only weapon is a witch who won't use her powers."

Morphing into Spike, the First continued, "Funny thing is the trigger was no longer active when I was killed. It's a shame that you killed me too, cause I was the only that would have brought an end to all of this." With that the First disappeared, leaving everyone to shocked to move.

After several seconds Willow finally said, "I'll go call Angel, it appears as if we are need of a few warriors."

Angel showed up later that night and walked straight up to Buffy's room, followed by Dawn, Willow and Anya, while Xander stayed downstairs trying to keep the other girls in the house from finding out what was going on.

"She feels like family, almost like Spike," Angel said looking at Dawn.

"They were mates," Anya said.

"Without an actual mating bond?" Angel said. "That is rare, the love between the two has to be pure and have complete acceptance for both parties. As well as constant presence."

"They have been like this since shortly after Spike Buffy found him when he got back from Africa," Anya said.

"Africa?"

"He went and got his soul," Dawn said. "When he got back he didn't tell anyone and the First was torturing him for months before Buffy found him in the basement of the new high school."

"She's screaming for vengeance. She can't stand living without him, yet can't avenge him herself," Angel whispered. "She's barely holding on."

"How do you know that?" Willow asked, curiously.

"It's a clan thing."

"What are you going to do?" Willow asked.

"I don't know," Angel lied.

Dawn saw the flash of yellow in his eyes but didn't mention it, she felt that Giles and Wood deserved to pay for what they had done to her sister and her surrogate brother. She gave Willow and Anya a look and they both left the room.

"Giles and Robin Wood," Dawn said before Angel even opened his mouth.

"How did you know what I was going to ask you?" Angel said.

"It's a clan thing, grandpa," Dawn answered, her eyes flashing demon yellow, and then a bright green.

"Stay with her until I get back."

"Of course."

It was the next night when Angel got back. He walked into the room, followed by the Willow, Xander and Anya, and knelt next to Buffy's bed by her face. Her swept the hair off her face and whispered so that only Buffy could hear, "I'm going to take Dawn with me. I'll protect her for you." He paused and glanced over at Dawn and saw her nod in agreement, and continued on in a normal voice. "I've gotten justice as clan leader. You can let go now Buffy."

Standing up he nodded at Dawn. She bent over and kissed Buffy on the forehead and said, "I love you Buffy, 'til the end of the world, even if that happens to be tonight."

A bright light engulfed Buffy and she whispered, "Spike".

The occupants of the room witnessed her soul leaving her body, what amazed all of them was the apparition of Spike reaching out for Buffy's hand. As soon as she took it, he looked at Dawn and said, "We'll see each other again someday Nibblet."

As they started to fade, Buffy said, "I love you too Dawnie."

As soon as Buffy and Spike faded, Angel turned to Dawn and said, "Gather anything you want to take that you can't live without. We are never coming back."

Within 10 minutes, Dawn was downstairs handing two bags to Angel and holding Mr. Gordo in one hand while wearing Spikes duster. Sending the teen out to his car, Angel turned to what was left of the Scooby's and said, "The slayer order has been restored, and the First's power weakened. I'll send Faith to help with the clean up when we get her out of prison."

Nodding solemnly everyone watched as Angel left with Dawn, neither of them ever looking back.


End file.
